Secret Soda Chicken

All three of my siblings share my extreme love for Coca-Cola (hereby known plainly as Coke).  We grew up drinking it all of the time from a very early age.  Surprisingly we weren't cavity ridden children with weight problems, but Coke was always a staple in our house.  I can even remember when the "New" Coke recipe came out and as a family we boycotted and switched to RC Cola until they reverted back to the original formula.  I think I was fairly young when this happened, so it must have been a big deal in our home in order for me to remember it.

Now that we are all a little older and wiser; and most importantly understand more about nutrition, none of us drink our fizzy favorite on a regular basis.  However, we all still LOVE it and revel in its rare availability at parties or events.  When I saw this recipe I thought of my soda loving siblings and knew I wanted to give it a try.  I also know from this old family recipe, that Coke makes a good ingredient in basting meat.   You don't have to love Coke or even like it to enjoy this recipe though.  It is undetectable as far as flavor goes; I would consider it a secret ingredient in the sauce unless you don't want it to be a secret at all!

 

Coca-Cola Chicken
Adapted from Cooking Light September 2011

 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil 
• 1/2 of a small onion; finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 cup cola (such as Coca-Cola) 
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Cooking spray

 

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in cola and next 4 ingredients (through chili powder); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until sauce reduces to 3/4 cup, stirring occasionally.



Set 6 tablespoons sauce aside.



3. Combine sugar and next 3 ingredients (through cumin), stirring well.



 Rub spice mixture evenly over both sides of chicken.



Arrange chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray;



baste with 3 tablespoons remaining sauce. Grill 5 minutes. Turn chicken over; baste with 3 tablespoons sauce. Grill 5 minutes or until done.



Serve with reserved 6 tablespoons sauce.



Click Here for my Printable Adapted Recipe